Diabetes Awareness Month

Last Updated - November 16, 2015

Shimano is a proud sponsor of Team Novo Nordisk

Team Novo Nordisk is the first professional team of its kind, consisting entirely of athletes with diabetes. The team competes in the UCI Professional Continental tour and in major professional races around the world.

Team History

In 2005 Phil Southerland and Joe Eldridge founded Team Novo Nordisk, originally known as Team Type 1. Phil was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just 7 months of age, while Joe, diagnosed at age 10, had lived most of his childhood with diabetes himself. The two discovered that exercise played a major role in their diabetes management. In 2006 Phil and Joe entered a team of 8 riders with type 1 diabetes in the Race Across America, a 3,000-mile tag-team competition to raise diabetes awareness. The group then went on to win the event in 2007, 2009 and 2010. The team turned professional in 2008, and became a UCI Continental team in 2011.

In addition to Team Novo Nordisk's professional cycling team, the program has grown into nearly 100 triathletes, runners and cyclists from around the world using their platform as athletes as an opportunity to show the possibilities through proper diabetes management.

Mission

The Team Novo Nordisk mission is to inspire, educate and empower people affected by diabetes. We strive to instill hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes.

"Team Novo Nordisk athletes don't just manage their diabetes for the sake of managing diabetes; they manage their diabetes to have a better change of achieving their dreams." - CEO & Co-Founder Phil Southerland

#DiabetesEmpowered

The team returns to action in 2016. Until then follow the team on social media for updates, or check out the team website at: www.teamnovonordisk.com